Pneumatic conveyer



July 29,1930. P. E. HELLER PNEUMATIC CONVEYER Filed Sept. 16/ 192'! 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN EY y 1930. P. E. HELL ER 1,771,787

- PNEUMATIC GONVEYER 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1927 ,3 Sheets-Sheet v 2' ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 16, 1927 s SheetS-Shet 3 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented July 29, 1930 onrren STATES PAiiI; E. HELLER, or NEWARK, NEW J RSEY PN nMATm commas Application filed; September 16, 1927. Serial n 6. aiaseoi convey the grain to an elevated'position, such as; is. requlred mum storing of grain. within elevator structures;

An important object of the present invention is to accomplish the delivery of the grain by means-of a; pneumatic conveyer in an improved condition as related to the action of a pneumaticconveyer apparatus as heretofore employed In this connection it will: be understood that in the pneumatic conveying 0f grain to the's'ubstantial heights of prac-q ta'ges of my improved'conveyer apparatus tical -requ-irements, the suction through-"the service or delivery conduit is such asto-i'm-v part a very high velocity to the particlesofgrain impelled thereby. As aresult of the high velocity the delivery of the grain'with:

in the expansion tank is difficult of accomplishment without injury to the grain, which has been an objectionable factor in the apparatus as heretofore employed. o

- In accordance with my present: invention, there isprovided at'the upper end of the service condu'ita battle box or delivery end' structure of improved form and having a downwardly directed discharge opening within the expansion tank and is formed at its upper end to provide. at baffle or buffer chamber for confining the grain at the end of its travel and within which a volume of grain will be held in suspension during the operation to drum connection between the service conduit act as a cushionfor and to receive the impact of the grain stream atthe delivery end ofv the service conduit. vAs a result,- there is proimproved intake nozzle structure; and

vided an] effective cushioning means operative toallow delivery of the grain with sub-- stantialelimination of the injuryto' the pardrawing, wherein there is diagrammatically ticles thereof as commonly experienced.

My present improvementskfur-ther include;

an improved flexible'or adjustable connection between the service or. delivery C'Olldlllt' and the expansion tank; of an arrangement providing for the continuity oof the 1 service conduit in a straight line and of uniform diameter throughout'its full length- This arrangement allows of high operating efficiency and avoids objectionable expansion Within the conduit, which Would interfere with.

maintaining the velocity and .which is char acteristic ofmany types of ba l ljoints as heretofore employed.- i

My improved apparatus further includes an improved design and arrangement of inta'kenozzlefor the service conduit adapted to increase the operating efficiency and-to" facilitate the discharge of: grain; The foregoing other features andgadvani will be-more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings; whereinlike reference numerals are appliedztothe corresponding parts in the several views.

Inthe drawings: I

Figure 1- is a diagramatic view inside elevation illustrating. the; general structural arrangement-of apneumatic convey'er instal lation', of thetype in connection with which thefeaturesof the present invention are de: sirably employed; 1 1

Figure 2 is a detailed view inside elevation,

illustrating my improved discharge or baflie and expansion tank'; t

vFigurefi 1s a'v'iew in side elevation ofthe Figure 6 is a view thereof in end elevation, Referring particularly toFigure l of the shown a typical installation, 1, indicates a. suitablev supporting structure, 2 the; usual expansiontanlr Within, which the grain is ds-- livered from. the service or delivery vco-n' du' it- 8 by the operation of suitable air pumps connected to exhaust the air from the upper part of the expansion tank through an air line or conduit 4. At 6 there is indicated a barge from which the grain is to be discharged by means of the usual intake nozzle or nozzles 7, connected to the service conduit by means of the usual flexible hose 8. The expansion tank 2 is provided with the usual bottom hopper 9 and discharge valve 10 for delivery of the grain to a belt conveyer 11 for conveying the grain to the grain elevator or other receiving point.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the delivery end of the service conduit 3 is positioned within the expansion tank, and is provided with baffle box or bulfer discharge chamber 14;, formed with a downwardly directed discharge opena ing 15. The-baffle box, 'as shown, may desirably be of cylindrical cross section and has a closed-upper end wall 16, forming a buffer chamber positioned above the discharge opening 15, within which the grain will be carried .by velocity and from which it will be discharged by gravity and by reason of the air current through the opening 15, as will be readily understood. In the operation, by reason of the high velocity, a volume of grain will be constantly maintained within the buffer chamber, and by reason of its suspension, will have a desirable cushioning effect upon the grain,whereby the delivery will be accom plished in a materially improved manner and without injury to the grain particles. A rubber composition or other cushioning disk17 7 may be supported within the buffer chamber at the uppermost end thereof, as shown, to further insure against injury of the grain particles.

A further feature of my present invention, and as best shown in Figures 2 and 4, consists in the provision of an improved form of adj ustable connection between the expansion tankand the service conduit which is particularly designed to maintain a uniform crosssectional area and rectilinear direction of the latter. The adjustable connection as shown comprises a circular supporting drum 18 rigidly secured to the expansion tank to be supported thereby, the supporting drum being formed with inner and outer enlarged openings 19 and 20 and is provided with closed end walls 21. Fitted within the supporting drum there is provided an annular or cylindrical movable drum portion 22. This inner drum is arranged to have a close rotatable fit within the outer drum and is provided with a tubular pipe or opening therethrough forming a part or continuation of the service conduit opening and to which it is connected at the lower end and to the buffer box at the opposite or upper end. As a result, the serv ice conduit is supported to be adjustable vertically by meansof a pivotally supported boo-m 24: to which the conduit is connected at its outer end, the boom being adjusted by means of a suitable cable 25. This arrangement provides for the desired swinging of the service conduit while maintaining a rectilinear passage for the grain, thereby insuring high efficiency.

My improved apparatus further includes an improved design and structural arrangement of the intake nozzle adapted to facilitate the discharge of the grain from a barge or railway car, and particularly to enable the full discharge of the grain from vessel bottoms, corners, etc. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the nozzle is of general tubular cross-section and of substantially semicircular form, and provided with a grain intake opening 28 angularly disposed with relation to its discharge end portion 29 to which the service hose is attached. At its end opposite to the discharge portion 29, it is formed with a substantially straight portion 30 and at its return bend extremity 31 it is provided with an air intake or open end portion 32, to which is fitted an adjustable shutter 33 providing for adjustment of the air intake areas. The latter feature is particularly advantageous in allowing convenient manual adjustment of the air intake for properly proportioning the air volume With relation to the density of grain being handled, so as to obtain high operating efficiency. The nozzle is provided with opposite handles 35 and a manipulating lever 36. The improvedform of intake nozzle as shown, wherein the air passage is of curvilinear form contributes to the efiiciency of the operation by avoiding abrupt turning or reversal of the air current and accordingly avoiding the resistance which would result therefrom.

While I have described the improved pneumatic conveyer apparatus as particularly applicable to the conveying of grain, it will be understood that it may be likewise employed for the conveying of other granular material, and further that the several features of the invention as defined in the appended claims may be varied in form and arrangement without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

In a pneumatic conveyer the combination with a service conduit and of an expansion tank at its upper or delivery end portion, of an adjustable connector between said service conduitand tank to permit swinging of the conduit with relation to the tank, said connector consisting of an outer drum supported upon the tank and formed with inner and outer enlarged openings, a circular bearing member rotatably fitted thereto and formed with a conduit connected with and forming a part of the service conduit in axial alinement therewith and providing a passage of substantially uniform cross-sectional area and a baflie box positioned to form the delivery end of the service conduit, said baffle box having a downwardly directed discharge opening and a buffer chamber positioned above said opening to receive the grain at the end of its upward travel and to hold a volume in suspension for the cushioning of the succeeding grain, substantially as described.

Signed at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 20th day of June, A. D. 1927.

PAUL E. HELLER. 

